[VIDEO] Epic Drives: Corvette ZR1 Chases 200 MPH in Europe

The words of praise about the Corvette ZR1 soar as high as the beautiful scenery of Italy as Motor Trend Editor At Large Angus MacKenzie and successful racer Justin Bell drive Chevy’s fastest ‘Vette ever from Munich, Germany to Maranello, Italy.

And in case you’re not familiar with Italian geography, there is a pretty well-known maker of high-performance cars in Maranello.

“An Australian driving a Brit in an American car in Germany, what a combination,” Justin remarks. “An international goulash of driving talent.”

But the jokes come to a halt when the two issue a friendly challenge to see if they can reach a mind-boggling 200 mph in the ZR1 on the German Autobahn, which Angus likens to one of the seven wonders of the automotive world.

Justin manages to make it to 195 before someone pulls in front of him and puts a stop to his hair-raising stunt. Angus then climbs behind the wheel, and with Justin doing the play-by-play reaches “170, 180, 190, 195, 6, 7, 8, 9, that’s 200 miles an hour, you bastard! Oh, my God, I’ve got sweat running down my face!”

“There’s nothing like that anywhere in the world,” Angus says. “I mean I have to come to Germany once a year just to go as fast as I can on the road. This thing has unbelievable power, and it really shows on a road like this. It’s a rocket ship!”

Also included on this Epic Drives episode, besides some of the best scenery in the world, are a trip through Italy’s Stelvio Pass, built in 1820 up and over the Alps and into the heart of Italy, with 48 hairpin turns in less than 10 miles, and a dance with a brand new Ferrari 458 Italia picked up direct from the factory.

Don’t miss this video if you want to experience 200 mph in a Corvette! It will leave you “all tingly” as Justin proclaims.

Mitch Talley has loved Corvettes since he was just 8 years old. He's owned 10 Corvettes since 1983, including examples from the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth generations. His goal is to own first, second, and seventh generation cars someday. He and his son, Chris, also a Corvette enthusiast, served as Captains of the 2014 Georgia Corvette Caravan.